Arguing about Antichrist. Cornelis Uythage’s (about 1640–1686) scholarly provocationsIn 1666, the now forgotten Leiden scholar Cornelis Uythage published his book Anti-Christus Mahometes, wherein he argued that Mohammed was the grand Antichrist. This led to a vehement quarrel with the Leiden Church council, who accused him of dissenting from the Reformed ... read more position that the Pope was the Antichrist. Uythage had a talent for provocation. Both at his philosophical and theological promotions, in 1662 and 1663 respectively, he wilfully challenged established authorities; his theological promotion caused a huge uproar. The provocative stance he showed throughout his career is in line with the fierce ecclesiastical and philosophical disputes at the time. As a scholar, however, Uythage was behind the times. He appears to have been moved by a spirit of contradiction rather than by any real concerns. Since he did not have any philosophical or political program, in the end his protests could be easily neutralized. show less